[Quick Transmigration] Rescue Little White Flower (GL) - Chapter 13: Saving Little White Flower in Workplace (13)

Chapter 13: Saving Little White Flower in Workplace (13)

With everything settled, there was still one week left of the leave Zhao Xingyue had granted Shen Qingwei.

Zhao Xingyue thought Shen Qingwei would use this week to process her emotions, but the very next day, she saw her at the company.

Zhao Xingyue asked, “Why not rest a couple more days?”

Shen Qingwei gave her a playful smile. “I’ve rested enough. I’ve got to hurry back to work. I owe you twenty years’ worth of debt, President Zhao. If I slack off, I might have to sell myself to you.”

Zhao Xingyue teasingly lifted Shen Qingwei’s chin, looking her over. “Little lady, you’ve got some charm. If you follow me, I might just waive that debt.”

Shen Qingwei bent her knees in a mock curtsy. “Then this little lady thanks you, kind sir.”

Ding-dong—

The arriving elevator interrupted the playful act of the two drama queens.

Shen Qingwei and Zhao Xingyue exchanged a smile and stepped into their respective elevators.

They arrived early, before the other employees.

Once inside the elevator, Shen Qingwei was alone.

Her expression changed almost instantly.

The smile in her eyes faded, replaced by an irrepressible sadness deep within. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her face blank.

The grief of losing a loved one wasn’t easily dispelled. But life went on, even after death. Shen Qingwei was clear-headed—she couldn’t let herself drown in the pain of losing her mother. Pain was addictive; the more she dwelled on it, the harder it was to move forward. The only way to break free was to force herself to stop.

When life kept her so busy she barely had time to breathe, it was hard to linger on lofty sorrows detached from daily necessities.

As the elevator opened, Zhao Xingyue stepped out toward her office, glancing back at the other elevator.

From her view, she saw Shen Qingwei struggle to stand, adjust her makeup in the mirror, force a smile, and walk out like a warrior with her head held high.

Zhao Xingyue chuckled softly. She had underestimated Shen Qingwei.

That morning, besides handling company matters, Zhao Xingyue spent her time observing Zhou Group.

Just as Zhou Group couldn’t touch her, it wasn’t easy for her to strike at them either.

Both were major corporations with many employees and wide-reaching influence. A single move could affect the whole. If Zhao Xingyue wanted to target Zhou’s father and son, she had to consider the innocent employees at Zhou Group and not act solely on her whims.

Upon closer inspection, she found Zhou’s father’s chosen illegitimate son remarkable. She didn’t know who his real father was, but he’d passed on exceptional genes. This rising illegitimate son played his cards far better than Zhou Yongjia ever could.

In just two days at the company, he’d earned widespread praise, far outshining Zhou Yongjia’s reputation as a tyrant at Zhou Group.

Zhou’s father grew more pleased with him, almost eager to revise his will and hand over the inheritance.

Though Zhou Yongjia was in the hospital, he wasn’t out of the loop. Learning his “brother” had entered the company and was poised to usurp his position as heir, he threw a massive tantrum, smashing everything in his hospital room.

A mere bastard—how dare he compete with him?

And his father—hadn’t he said Zhou Yongjia was his only heir?

In his heart, he despised both men.

In the hospital, Zhou Yongjia roared, “Zhou Shikai, Zhou Yongqi, I’ll make sure you both suffer!”

Zhou Shikai was Zhou’s father’s name, and Zhou Yongqi was the illegitimate brother Zhou Yongjia saw as a major threat.

Zhao Xingyue wasn’t surprised to hear such words from Zhou Yongjia.

For someone reincarnated as a malevolent spirit, family ties meant nothing. Anyone they deemed a betrayer—parents, children, or otherwise—faced their relentless, storm-like vengeance.

Even if it was a misunderstanding, they felt no remorse after their revenge. At most, they’d think it was your bad luck for being misunderstood.

To be fair, Zhou’s father treated Zhou Yongjia well. Though a bit of a playboy, he was always responsive to his legitimate son with his original wife.

He kept family and affairs separate—legitimate children were legitimate, illegitimate ones were not.

He provided for his illegitimate children but never gave them a chance to covet Zhou Group.

Despite having countless illegitimate children, many with better character than Zhou Yongjia, Zhou Yongjia still held the CEO position at Zhou Group. It wasn’t that he was irreplaceable, but Zhou’s father never gave anyone else a chance.

If Zhou Yongjia hadn’t been plagued by mysterious pain, appearing on the verge of ruin, Zhou’s father wouldn’t have let an illegitimate son near the family.

Even so, he hadn’t fully abandoned Zhou Yongjia. Zhou Yongqi, upon entering the company, was only given the lowest-level tasks. Though he excelled, Zhou’s father had no intention of promoting him. He was still young and could wait. If Zhou Yongjia recovered, he’d reclaim the CEO position. If not, only then would Zhou Yongqi be elevated.

While Zhou Yongjia hated his father and brother, Zhou Yongqi, as his brother, equally resented his so-called brother and nominal father.

Unaware he wasn’t Zhou’s father’s biological son, he saw himself and Zhou Yongjia as equals—both sons of the same father. Yet, his father’s blatant favoritism felt grossly unfair.

Zhou Yongjia was clearly finished, yet his father still held hope for him. Zhou Yongqi worked tirelessly to excel, earning everyone’s praise, only to face suppression. What kind of father was this biased?

The trio’s infighting made Zhao Xingyue’s lips curl. The bad luck she’d left in Zhou Yongjia’s body wasn’t of this world and would naturally dissipate over time. Though it had damaged his body, she could no longer manipulate it to cause him pain. This meant that soon, a fully “recovered” Zhou Yongjia would return to Zhou Group.

With Zhou Yongqi’s temperament, having tasted power, he wouldn’t willingly return what he’d gained. And Zhou Yongjia, once recovered, wouldn’t stand by watching what was rightfully his held by another.

In the hospital, he could only pull petty tricks on Zhou Yongqi. Back at the company, it would be his battlefield.

Zhao Xingyue could already foresee the chaos awaiting Zhou Group.

She only hoped their infighting wouldn’t harm Zhou Group’s ordinary employees. Zhao Group, though large, wasn’t a charity taking in just anyone.

Of course, if capable people wanted to jump ship, she’d welcome them with open arms.

After observing Zhou Group, Zhao Xingyue turned her attention back to Shen Qingwei.

On her first day back, Shen Qingwei was busy as a spinning top.

But she wasn’t doing much real work—just miscellaneous tasks.

“Qingwei, print this document for me, thirty-six copies. Leave them on my desk for the meeting later.”

“Qingwei, I’ve got a delivery coming. Could you pick it up at the front desk?”

“Qingwei…”

Qingwei, Qingwei, Qingwei.

Shen Qingwei never realized her name could feel so magical. Now, whenever she closed her eyes, all she heard was people calling her name.

Her feet were already blistered from her new high heels, but she had no time to complain. When seniors handed her trivial tasks, even if she was inwardly exasperated, she had to smile and take on duties that weren’t hers.

It was like this at new companies, she told herself. At Zhou Group, hadn’t she spent over a month fetching tea and being a sticky-note assistant before learning anything from her seniors?

A bit of hardship was expected.

Ring-ring—

The office phone rang.

“Qingwei, answer the phone,” someone said without looking up.

Shen Qingwei hurriedly set down her documents, picked up the phone, and said, “Hello, this is Zhao Group—”

“Shen Qingwei, come to my office.”

Huh?

Shen Qingwei’s eyes widened. She clutched the phone, not noticing the documents falling to the floor. “President, President Zhao.”

The words “President Zhao” were like a trigger. Countless gleaming eyes turned toward her.

Unaware of their stares, Shen Qingwei continued speaking to Zhao Xingyue on the phone. “Now? Is something wrong, President Zhao?”

Zhao Xingyue sounded impatient. “Just come up. Stop wasting words.”

Sensing her irritation, though unsure why, Shen Qingwei quickly said, “Okay, okay, President Zhao, I’m coming right now.”

First, appease her.

After hanging up, she noticed her colleagues’ sparkling eyes.

“President Zhao called you? What’s it about?”

“Is she calling you or someone from our department?”

“Why would President Zhao suddenly call?”

Shen Qingwei was as clueless as they were. She smiled at them. “She didn’t say what it’s about, just told me to go to her office. If there’s any task, I’ll report back promptly.”

The supervisor stepped in. “Alright, stop crowding around. Get back to work. Shen Qingwei, didn’t President Zhao call for you? Go already.”

Shen Qingwei said, “Right away, right away!”

With a nervous heart, she pressed the elevator button for the top floor.

In the elevator, she couldn’t help but wonder what Zhao Xingyue wanted. She sounded unhappy on the phone—had Shen Qingwei done something wrong? Would she fire her? Stop, stop, Shen Qingwei, don’t overthink. You got this job through your own interview. How could Zhao Xingyue fire you just like that?

Reassuring herself, she reached Zhao Xingyue’s office door but lacked the courage to knock.

The secretary gave her an encouraging look and whispered, “You got this.”

Shen Qingwei returned a smile for her kindness, took a deep breath, and knocked on the office door as if facing her doom.

A slightly magnetic alto voice came from inside. “Come in.”

Shen Qingwei exhaled, carefully pushing the door open.